Worlds Apart
by Carmensandiego79
Summary: Ressler struggles with the task put in front of him of hunting down his ex-partner. **Thank you guys so much for all the follows and super nice reviews! I'm so glad you've enjoyed this story so much. It was fun for me to write. Hope you like the ending :-) **
1. Chapter 1

He sat in his apartment staring at the wall. It was the Conference Finals for hockey but not even that could divert his attention for the last two hours. He looked down at the notes scattered across his coffee table and sighed deeply. Notes on her… her potential whereabouts. He closed his eyes and pinched his nose hard. Thoughts of that day danced through his head every time he found himself alone. Thoughts of how he could've changed the outcome… how he could've helped her more.

He heard a message come through on his cell phone and immediately opened his eyes, drastically searching to see who it was from. He hated doing this to himself… allowing his hopes to get up like he had every single time someone called or texted him at an unexpected hour. And every time he was let down.

Liz hadn't made contact with him. Not since the phone call where she told him Cooper hadn't shot Connolly. Not since he told her he would hunt her down.

He wished he could take those words back. He wished he could have re-phrased them to let her know, to make her understand, that hunting her was the last thing he could ever fathom himself doing.

But here he sat. Four months later, leading the task force against her. Her and Raymond Reddington.

The message on the phone was from Aram. It was labeled as urgent and Ressler immediately dialed the agent's cell phone back.

"Ressler, good you called back."

"What is it Aram? Did you find something?" Ressler hoped the desperation in his voice didn't show through.

"Actually, Agent Ressler. Yes. I did."

He sat up straight on the couch and turned the volume down on his television.

"Tell me Aram."

"Ok. So remember when I first met Red and he threatened to kill me if I couldn't find Berlin's daughter? Well, I remember, through my tears, him saying how much he liked this 1989 Chateau Petrus red wine from France. There aren't too many of them left in the world. So a few weeks ago I put a tag in the system to alert me if anyone purchased or shipped a bottle of that particular wine….And guess what was just ordered and delivered to Dublin, Ireland?"

"The wine?" Ressler got up from his couch and ran to get his keys.

"Aram, meet me at the office in 20 minutes."

"Of course, Agent Ressler." The phone call ended and Ressler grabbed his keys and headed out of the door.

It was the first lead on Liz & Red that the task force had since they had gone on the run. When he got to his car, he could feel his heart beating out of his chest. If Red was really in Ireland and ordering bottles of his favorite wine, that means that he was okay.

That meant that Liz was okay.

…..

He rushed into the Post Office and walked up the stairs to his office. It still felt weird… his office.

He was so used to sharing a space with Keen. So used to not having much privacy, to bouncing off ideas with her and the other agents. Ressler knew that taking over the task force would be hard. But he didn't realize how lonely it would be as well.

A few minutes later, he heard a knock on his door and yelled for Aram to step in.

The agent looked like he had just awakened from a deep sleep and Ressler couldn't help but chuckle. At least someone on the team was able to sleep…

"Agent Ressler, it looks like the hit on the wine is being delivered to a PO Box near the eastern coast of Ireland", Aram said as he put his computer on Ressler's desk so the agent could see the location.

"I haven't been able to find out much about who owns the box. But hopefully in a few hours I can see if the trail leads to Red."

Ressler shook his head. "We may not have a few hours. I need to get on a plane now."

"Agent Ressler, this lead could mean nothing. I'm sure Reddington isn't the only person alive to invest in a good bottle of this wine."

But Ressler was already grabbing some files and the spare suitcase he kept hidden underneath his desk.

"It could mean nothing… or everything." He looked over at Aram and stopped in his tracks.

"This is the first good lead we've had in two months. If we're wrong, then that's fine. But I can't sit back and wait. I need to find her…. I mean them."

"I understand", Aram nodded and smiled. "But at least take Samar with you. Who knows what criminals Red may be around right now. We need to find Keen & Red but we also have to be smart about it."

Ressler turned towards Aram and grimaced. "I'll let you know as soon as I get on a flight and I'll keep you updated on any information I find."

He watched Agent Ressler walk out of the office and stop at the door.

"And listen Aram, no one knows about this but you and me? Until I know for sure, this stays between us. It's the weekend. No one is expecting me back again until Monday. Got it?"

Aram nodded and picked up his phone to dial.

"Samar…. Yeah, I know it's late. Look, I got a lead on Liz & Red and Ressler is heading there now. Alone….. You need to follow him to Ireland."


	2. Chapter 2

Ressler's eyes bolted open after a sudden jerk knocked him from his sleep. He looked briefly out of the plane's window and watched as the storm clouds surrounded the sky and the pilot put the seatbelt light on.

"I don't care how much I fly, I can never get used to turbulence." The older woman sitting next to him said softly.

He looked at her and pursed his lips.

"I fly enough where it doesn't bother me anymore", he said, while looking back out of the window. "Besides, evils on the ground have a greater ability to harm you than this airplane."

"Oooh", she muttered while starting to laugh. "And pray tell, what is it that you do for a living, young man?"

Ressler thought about lying for a moment but decided against it.

"I'm an FBI agent, ma'am", he said with a stoic expression.

He watched as she stared at him for a few seconds before saying anything.

"So Mr. FBI man…. Are you running from something or to something?"

Ressler's expression turned pensive as he watched her eyebrows raise in anticipation of his answer.

"Listen here dear… You're on a plane. Alone. Traveling half way across the Globe and haven't smiled or relaxed for one second. I don't need a fancy degree or FBI training to know that something is troubling you…"

Ressler smiled warmly and laughed softly.

"Well, to answer your question… I guess you could say it's a little bit of both."

…

When he stepped outside of the airport, the crisp air hit him with force. He got into the first cab that he saw and gave the driver the directions to his hotel. Aram was still putting together some key info for him and after the 8 hour plane ride, he needed to change clothes and get his plans together.

Ressler couldn't help but notice how beautiful of a city Dublin was. And as he looked out among the city streets, he silently wondered if she was somewhere hidden behind a window or door that he was passing by… if he was closer than ever to finding her.

His thoughts were interrupted by a call from Aram on his cell phone.

"Tell me something good, Aram", he said firmly.

"Well… I don't have something good. But I do have something great."

Ressler perked up in the back of the cab and pressed the phone in tightly to his ear.

"I thought I had hit a dead end when I found out that the mail center where the PO Box is located didn't have any security cameras. But I was able to tap into the cameras from the bank across the street. Don't ask…. And I found some footage that may be of interest to you from this morning."

"Aram, what's on the footage?" Ressler loved Aram's skill and expertise but he had a habit of taking forever to get to the point.

"I'm sending it over right now, Agent Ressler. Check your messages."

Ressler looked down at his phone and saw a notification come across the screen. When he opened it, he felt his heartbeat rising with the anticipation of what he was about to witness.

The video was grainy but it showed a woman walking into the mail center empty handed. A few minutes later, she came back out of the store carrying a medium sized box when the wind knocked her hat off of her head.

It was Liz.


	3. Chapter 3

Ressler's first inclination was to tell the cab driver to drive straight to where the PO Box was located and see if Liz was still in the area. The video footage that Aram had managed to pull was only from 2 hours ago. There was still a good chance she had stopped for breakfast or coffee somewhere near it.

But he needed a follow-up plan. Even if he did manage to see Liz standing in front of him, what then? Was he willing to arrest her right there, against her will? Point a gun in her face if she resisted?

Ressler sat in his hotel room and contemplated his next move. It sounded silly now, but during this whole hunt the last few months, the idea that he would actually find Liz & Red was far-fetched. He had tracked Red down for almost 5 years with no luck. And now that he had found them, now that he knew they were in the vicinity, he needed to come to grips to what needed to be done and what he actually was willing to do.

His phone rang again and he looked down to see it was Aram.

"Agent Ressler, now that we know that Liz & Red are in Ireland, I've begun digging through phone records, apartment and home purchases, any hits from some of Red's known associates that would help locate where they are living in the city."

Ressler remained silent, knowing that Aram was rounding the curve to get to the point of his phone call.

"I think I found where they are staying."

Ressler sucked in his breath and jumped up from the bed to get something to write with. Knowing that with every stroke of his pen, he was coming closer to the inevitable.

Finally hunting down Elizabeth Keen.

…

The cab dropped him off three blocks from the address that Aram had given him. The neighborhood was nice. Busy, hustling with people. He understood why Red would've chosen it. No prying neighbors. Everyone going about their own business not worrying or noticing a new face in the area.

He silently thought about Aram's words about him having backup. And quickly shrugged it off. Even if Red had people protecting him and Liz, Ressler wouldn't let it turn violent. He would have to approach her alone, somewhere away from too many faces.

His plan was to sit at the corner café down the street from the apartment building where they were staying and stake it out. Try to corner Liz alone, away from Red, and convince her to come back to the States, without her resisting. It sounded unlikely, even in his head, but it was the only thing he could think of doing at the moment.

It had been two hours and there was no sight of them. When all of a sudden, a woman rounded the corner and he instantly knew it was her. She looked tired, worn. But still resembled the same person he had grown to know. Grown to care for.

He saw her dig through a bag and grab a cell phone. She stopped just in front of her building steps and stayed there a few minutes to talk. He watched her closely. She had dyed her hair an auburn color. It wasn't the deep brown he was used to. And it was shorter.

He sat there staring for a few minutes before he suddenly realized she had ended her phone call and turned around, walking into the deli right next door. Ressler wasn't sure if there was anyone else in the apartment and figured he might have a better chance approaching her in a public venue.

He got up without notice and walked swiftly but calmly into the deli where she had just disappeared into.

When he didn't initially see her, he panicked and thought maybe he had been spotted sitting at the café. He turned down one of the aisles and up another one until he saw her in the corner, looking over some loafs of bread.

Ressler froze. All these months. All this time of pining over his former partner and her well-being. Wondering if she was okay, if she was safe. If she would eventually turn herself to save him from actually having to do his job of hunting her down. A job he wasn't sure he was even able to do.

And here she was. Right in front of him.

He walked up slowly behind her, stopping when he came within a few feet.

"Liz…", he said softly.

He watched her body turn around suddenly and stiffen when her eyes met his.

Frozen in place, they stared at each other for what felt like minutes but was only a few seconds in actuality.

"Ressler…. What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

Her face was full of pain and Ressler stepped in closer to where she stood.

"Liz, you have to turn yourself in. You need to come back with me."

"Ressler, you have to go. Do you understand? You have to leave, now!"

He saw the sorrow in her eyes turn to fear as she looked past him over her shoulder.

All of a sudden, Ressler felt his legs buckle from a blunt force to his back and heard her scream as he fell to the ground. He watched as a man grabbed her arm, pulling her away from where she stood as she looked back trying to break away.

He tried to get up but a sharp pain erupted from his back and he screamed out in frustration.

She was gone. Just like that, she was gone from his grasps.

He closed his eyes and forced himself to sit up. He saw two women staring at him in the corner and whispering to themselves. Another man approached him, yelling in a language he did not understand. But that didn't mean Ressler didn't know what the man was saying. He needed to leave the store... now.

He grabbed onto the shelf beside him and pulled himself up from the floor, gasping in pain from the blow to his back. He saw the baseball bat that had struck him lying on the floor next to where he just gotten up and looked out the door, knowing that Liz was long gone by then.

He managed to walk slowly out of the store and call a cab to take him back to his hotel, calling Aram once he got into his room.

"She got away, Aram. I found her and let her get away." He listened to Aram begin asking questions and tuned out his voice.

"Start tracking private flights out of the country and let me know if any raise suspicion. We have to find her Aram. If we don't narrow down where she's off to next, I'm afraid we never will."

Ressler tried to unbutton his shirt but the pain stopped him cold and he fell onto his bed.

He sighed as he remembered the look on her face when she had first realized he was standing in front of her. She was shocked. And if he didn't know any better, she looked relieved. But that look was soon replaced by sorrow and terror and he was struggling to understand why.

He looked at the clock and realized he had been laid out in his hotel for almost 3 hours. Liz & Red were probably long gone by now. Off to a new destination where they would be even more careful about the mistakes that led Ressler to them in Dublin.

He felt depleted. And the realization that he may never find her again weighed heavily on his mind.

He got up to use the bathroom and took an Advil for the pain when he thought he heard something.

He stepped out of his bathroom carefully and turned the corner to see a woman standing beside his window. Her face frantic, streaked with tears.

"Liz…"


	4. Chapter 4

"Ressler... you're ok?"

His eyes narrowed in and he stood there, staring back at her.

"Liz… what? What are you doing here?"

"I had to make sure you were ok." She walked closer to him and stopped when she was only a few feet away. He watched as tears continued to fall from her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Ressler. For everything. I…."

"Shhh….", he said nodding his head back and forth. He wanted to reach up and comfort her. Shield her from all the bad surrounding her life the past few months but he something stopped him.

"Are you okay, Liz? Are you hurt?" He asked softly.

"Yes… I mean, no. I'm not hurt. I'm fine. And surprised that you found me. Us."

He saw her look towards the door and knew they weren't alone.

"Is he out there, waiting for you?" Ressler asked, already knowing the answer to the question.

She nodded slightly and looked away from him. "I can't go back to the States, Ressler. You know I can't. The Cabal… there's no way I'd be given a fair trial. They'll kill me."

He was about to refute her statements when the door opened slowly and Red walked in the room.

"Donald… sorry about earlier. My men are paid well to protect Liz from any and all harm. They didn't know your intent…", he said as he stood by the door looking at his watch.

"Look Lizzie, we have to go. Now. Our plane leaves in an hour." He looked over at Ressler and slowly walked over to him.

"Donald, I have come to grow fond of you over the past few years. But you know as well as I do that they will kill her if she comes back with you. We need time. Time to uncover the Cabal for what they are. Going back now is suicide."

Ressler looked over at him and grimaced.

"Red, you are being hunted down by the FBI. That is suicide. If they find out where you are, if they somehow uncover your location, they will shoot on sight and pin everything on the both of you."

Red smirked and looked up at Ressler's face. "Then don't tell them where we are, my dear Donald. I know you haven't told the FBI that you had a lead on us here or you wouldn't be alone. You have a decision at play here. Make the right one."

Ressler closed his eyes and opened them to find Liz staring back at him. Pleading with him not to make her walk out on him. It was enough to kill his spirit.

He looked over at Red and nodded.

"Good. There is a war coming. And you just chose a side."

Red walked past Ressler and went up to Liz.

"I've already made plans for the apartment to be emptied and scrubbed down. I trust Donald not to tell where we are tonight, but we still have to play it safe."

He looked at her gently and whispered in her ear, "It's time to go, Lizzie."

"No." She took a step back and looked at him. "I'm not leaving Ressler. Not yet. I'll meet you at the backup location a little later and we can leave then."

Red started to argue but knew it wouldn't get anywhere. He nodded and kissed her on the forehead.

"Don't do anything stupid." He said as he walked out of the room and closed the door gently.

Ressler watched her eyes find their way back to his.

"Thank you Ressler."

…..

Fiften minutes later, he heard a soft knock on the door and he opened it to find Liz returned with a bag full of pain meds for his back. They still hadn't talked. Still hadn't discussed the agony of what they'd both been dealing with the past four months.

Ressler locked the door behind her and watched her turn on the light in the corner of the room.

She looked over to him and smiled.

"I know you said you're fine, but your walk and grimaces say otherwise." She smiled and walked over to him.

"Take your shirt off, let me see the damage."

He looked over at her and started to reach down and pull his shirt off but the pain was too much.

Liz noticed and moved closer, taking his hands and helping him remove his shirt. Ressler breathed in the scent of her, watching her as she looked down at his bare chest and the horrible bruise that was beginning to form on his back.

He felt her softly run her hands against the bruise, sighing deeply and staring up into his eyes.

"I never meant to hurt you, Ressler…. I never meant to cause you the pain of what you're dealing with now. You shouldn't have to choose between your job and me." She closed her eyes and looked away, her hands still touching his back. Still holding onto him as if he were to disappear in any second.

Ressler thought about his words to her. He wanted her to feel his pain. Wanted her to know the agony of being tasked with hunting down his partner, his friend. He wanted her to hurt knowing the sleepless nights he laid awake wondering where she was. If she was okay. But most of all, he wanted her to know the truth.

"I've missed you, Liz….", he said softly, stepping in to embrace her as he felt her arms wrap around his body tightly. "There was never a real choice to make."

He felt her smile into his chest and they stayed in each other's arms, holding on. He felt her pull back and look at him, glaring into his eyes with the same sentiments, same fears.

"You are the one person in my life who has never let me down. You owe me nothing, Ressler."

She kissed his lips softly and pulled back, realizing the enormity of what she had just done. They had never taken their relationship there. Never once even thought about it. But these last months had changed them somehow. Things were different, they felt different standing in front of each other as a man and a woman. Not as partners.

Ressler reached down slowly and kissed her back, gently, softly. He waited for her to pull back. Waited for her to stop him and say this was crazy and they were just lonely. But she didn't. And he didn't want it to end.

He felt her wrap her arms around him, closing the space between them and he kissed her deeper, more forcibly. Showing her just what he meant by having missed her.

Liz stood back, releasing herself from his embrace, his lips. She stood there, watching his face as he took in what had just happened between them. She took off her jacket and removed her shirt and pants, standing before him in only her bra and panties.

There was no smile on his face. No look of approval. Just longing…

He stepped over to her and reached around to unhook her bra and watched as it fell to the floor. His hands ran over her chest as a small whimper came from her mouth. He watched as she slid her panties off and reached over to remove his pants as well. Ressler breathed in deeply as she reached over and took him in her hands.

He wrapped his hands around her and moved them both over to the bed. His back still in pain from earlier that day, he braced himself gently on top of her and took her breasts in his mouth as his hands found his way all over her body.

He heard her moan his name and he rose up to kiss her deeply again. He felt her hands slowly guide him and soon felt himself enter her, both of them gasping and moaning at how good the other felt.

Ressler started slow and then faster, his body not able to contain itself from the warmth of her. She smiled at him and reached up to take his lips within hers and she felt him getting closer and closer which drove her over the edge as well.

They laid there for a few minutes. Holding each other. Not wanting to let go.

They continued…. Making love for almost two hours. Afraid to stop for good, knowing what was waiting for them after the night ended.

Around 1am, Ressler was awakened by a knock at the door. He looked down, watching Liz sleeping peacefully by his side. He knew who it was…. Knew what it meant.

It was time for her to go. And time for Ressler to leave back for the States.

He kissed her softly on her head and watched as she stared up at him, smiling softly.

"Red is at the door, Liz."

He watched her expression change from joy to sorrow as she closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

"I don't want to leave you…", she said softly.

Ressler nodded. "I know."

They both got out of the bed and Ressler threw on his shorts and shirt while watching Liz put her clothes back on.

He stood there for a minute. Not moving. And saw her look up when she realized his eyes were fixated on hers.

There was so much Ressler wanted to say to her. So much he needed her to know before she vanished out of his life again for months...years. He walked past her and opened the door to see Red standing across the hallway, eyeing him before turning down the hall.

"Liz, this isn't goodbye... I will make this right."

"I know", she said as she reached up to kiss him. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her, not caring that Red was watching closely just a few yards away.

His tongue slipped in her mouth and she moaned, pressing herself onto him more. He forced himself to break away slowly and she mumbled his name under her breath as she walked away.

Ressler watched her walk down the hall and caught Red's eye in the distance.

The unspoken communication was there.

 _Don't make promises you can't keep._

And Ressler felt the anger growing inside of him as he closed the door back and vowed to himself that he would find the Cabal and make them pay for what they'd done to their lives.


	5. Chapter 5

Agent Navabi sat in the lobby of Ressler's hotel. Hidden away in a corner, disguised in a short brown pixie wig.

She had watched Red & Liz enter hours ago. Watched as Red had exited, without her, with his bodyguards.

She had picked up the phone to dial Aram but decided against it. She wanted to see how this was going to play out.

She knew the struggles Ressler was dealing with. And she had serious doubts as to whether he could put his personal feelings for his former partner aside, to do what was necessary. Do what he had been tasked to do.

When Red had returned a few hours later and left with Liz in tow, she knew her suspicions had been right.

Ressler had let Liz go... For the second time.

…

He walked into the Post Office at 7:30am on Monday morning. He kept his head down and made a beeline straight to his office. His new Director's office.

The irony wasn't lost on him. He was the leader of the task force. The task force intended to hunt down Raymond Reddington & Elizabeth Keen, two fugitives on the FBI's most wanted list. And his skin still held remnants of the scent of her perfume. The taste of her lips was still present on his.

Ressler sat down at his desk and put his head in his hands. His mind wanted to return to the memories from a night ago. He licked his lips, remembering the way hers felt all over his and cleared his throat. He wasn't sure his next step, wasn't sure of what his next move was. But focusing on this… on her… wasn't helping.

He had avoided most of Aram's questions upon returning from Ireland. Instead, only deciding to tell him that he had lost Liz once Red's henchman attacked him.

But that wasn't the truth. Not at all. The truth was Liz had sought him out. Made sure he was okay before she was forced to leave the safety of Dublin and jet off to a new location with Red. He closed his eyes, understanding the significance of what she had done. Understanding that she had put herself and Red in jeopardy by staying after they were discovered to seek him out and see for herself that he was alive… and okay.

He let out a heavy sigh and looked up when he heard a soft knock on the door.

"Come in...", he said, raising his head high and trying to rid himself of the guilt and deceit that was written all over his face.

Aram walked in, giving Ressler a soft smile, and shut the door softly.

"Agent Ressler… good to see you back." He motioned to the chair, making sure it was okay for him to sit down.

Ressler nodded.

Aram sat down and neither agent spoke. He shifted uncomfortably a bit in his seat, looking over at Ressler, wanting to ask the hard questions that he was seeming to avoid.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Aram said.

Ressler pursed his lips and thought carefully about his words.

"There's nothing to talk about Aram. I found her. Tried to convince her to turn herself in. And before she even had the chance to reply, I was attacked by one of Reddington's goons and lost sight of her."

"End of story." Ressler looked down at his desk and continued talking. "Back to square one."

Aram saw the pain in Agent Ressler's face and interjected.

"Look, even though we lost them, I'm still combing through all private jets and yachts out of the country that day. So far I haven't had any luck, but it's a start."

He paused and looked into Ressler's eyes, which had suddenly looked up from his desk.

"We'll find her, Ressler."

Ressler smiled gently and nodded. The deceit was killing him. Aram cared for Liz. He knew that. But he wasn't ready yet to admit to himself, let alone anyone else, the reality of what happened in Dublin. He had numerous opportunities to call the Deputy Attorney General and let her know that he had found Elizabeth Keen, but didn't.

He watched Aram get up from the chair and head out of his office. He looked over at his phone, which had just buzzed, and wondered if Dublin had changed things. He wondered if Liz would be more at ease of making contact, unlike before, now that he had chosen a side.

Her side.

He was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice Agent Navabi enter his office and close the door behind her.

"We need to talk." She said while walking over to where he sat on his desk.

"What is it Agent Navabi?", he said, a little more curt than he meant it to sound.

Ressler watched as she stared at him, not saying a word. He creased his brow and was about to ask what was bothering her when she leaned over and placed her hands on his desk, staring him in the face.

"I know you let her go."


	6. Chapter 6

Agent Navabi watched his face go numb as he processed the words that just came from her mouth. His jaw tensed and she felt his eyes searching hers for answers to how she knew his deep secret.

He didn't speak, just watched her closely.

She took her hands off the table and sat down in the chair across from him.

"Aram asked me to follow you to Ireland. He was worried that you wouldn't make smart decisions and get yourself in trouble."

She paused for a few seconds before speaking again.

"He was right."

Ressler scowled and turned to look at the door, wondering what she was going to do with the information at hand. Even though Ressler had worked with Agent Navabi for more than a year, the two were not close. They respected each other, had saved each other from death a handful of times. But their relationship did not extend beyond the walls of the FBI task force.

Samar saw his face look to the door and knew what he was thinking.

"Agent Ressler, if I was going to betray you, I would've done it when you originally let Keen go in the hallway of our building."

He turned his head sharply to look at her and sighed deeply. Out of all the agents on their task force, he'd always known Samar was one of the sharpest. He nodded to her, his first admission that the words she was saying were true, and looked down at his hands.

"She's being framed." He said matter of factly before continuing on. "I can't bring her in until I know who exactly is behind it."

He looked back up at her, hoping to see in her face the look of someone he could trust.

She smiled gently and nodded. "I agree. And we can not help you, or Liz, if you continue to keep us in the dark."

Ressler pursed his lips and nodded in agreement. He watched as she rose from her seat and walked to the door of his office.

"Agent Navabi", he said softly. "The people who are behind this. The people who have framed Keen… they are among us, maybe even on our team. If they discover we are trying to gain information on them…"

He paused before speaking again and watched as a slow smirk arose on her face.

"I've never backed down from a good fight, Agent Ressler. I don't intend to now."

And with that, Agent Navabi walked out and closed the door.

…..

The next few weeks were spent digging through files, clamoring through bunches of information with no luck. He realized in that moment there was so much that Liz had not told him. So much that he wished he could know that would help him in his efforts to clear her name.

Aram and Samar started with finding much information as they could on Connolly. They dug up his colleagues and who he reported to. As well as who he spent his free time with and any information on his activities outside of the office.

Ressler was surprised one morning a few days after Liz had gone into hiding when Cooper was standing at his door at 6:30am, needing to talk. The former Assistant Director had filled him in on the fact that Connolly was planning to take down all the members of the task force with their secrets…. including his for the Oxy addiction.

He understood then why Liz had done what she did. He still wrestled with the fact that he might have prevented it all by not allowing her to leave the Post Office when she had pleaded with him to let her go. But he couldn't dwell on that. He did what he thought right in the moment. They both did that day.

Cooper had also informed Ressler that Connolly made the remark that if he died, someone else would just simply take over his spot. That the Cabal was a never ending cycle. Which meant that someone above Connolly was in the know and pulling the strings. There weren't too many people on the same level or above the United States Attorney General. That fact scared Ressler…

He was clamoring through telephone logs late one night when his phone beeped. He looked over and saw a call from an unknown number. His body tensed immediately. Liz had never called him. Not once, even after Ireland. He tried not to think about it, tried not let it upset him. But in reality, Ressler had hoped that she would reach out more after he had proven where his loyalty was. Where it has always been…

He hit the green button to receive the call and put the phone up to his ear.

"Ressler."

He heard a faint breath in the background before he heard Red's voice on the other end.

"Donald, it's me."


	7. Chapter 7

"Red… where is Liz, what's wrong?" Ressler said through panicked breath.

"Calm down, Donald. She's fine." He said calmly. Ressler could almost hear the smirk on his face.

"Actually, she has been a bit more stressed than usual lately. I wonder why…" Ressler began to speak but closed his mouth, knowing he probably wouldn't get a straight answer from Red.

"Anyway, speaking of the last time I saw you in Ireland, you made a certain promise to our dear Lizzie that I am hoping you meant true."

Ressler remained silent and waited for Red to continue with whatever was the real reason for his phone call.

"If you truly do mean to help Lizzie clear her name, there is something you need to do. Research on my end has proven that one of the highest ranking officials in the US government is part of the Cabal. In essence, he is who had been orchestrating our fallen hero Connolly. And he is who you will need to take down to implicate the Cabal and clear Elizabeth's name."

Ressler sighed heavily before speaking.

"Red, who is it? Who is the high ranking official?"

"Our very beloved and well respected President of the United States."

…

Ressler couldn't hide his shock and stood in silence after Red had dropped the bomb on him. The President was a part of the Cabal. A man he had admired. A man who had lost his wife and young son in a tragic boating accident a year before he ran for Presidency, winning in a landslide. A man Ressler had voted for. And here he was, a part of one of the most cutthroat and dangerous organizations of our time.

"You can't just take down a man like the President, Red. What facts do you have? How am I supposed to gain information on someone so powerful?

"Oh Donald… I don't expect you to do everything. That's what my people are for. I just need to know I can trust you with the information when I do get my hands on it."

"I've already proven my trust, Red."

"Yes, Donald. I know you have proven your trust to Lizzie. But I need to know you trust me as well. And vice versa."

Ressler sighed, knowing that Red was right. "I do", he said with conviction.

"But Red, you have to give me something… The Deputy AG is looking for me to get some clues on you both. I need to know where you've been. Give me a cold trail and I can bullshit for a few more weeks. You guys have gone dormant for over two months with nothing. I need something so they think I am still doing the task at hand…. hunting you down."

Red laughed into the phone which made Ressler frown. "If you needed a lifeline, Donald, all you had to do is ask."

He grew silent for a minute and then spoke softly. "Montreal, Canada. 54 Balfour Street. Five days ago."

Ressler made a mental note of the address and let his mind drift to a different topic.

"I need to talk to her, Red."

"Donald, what you need to do is be ready for information that can take our President down. That will help Liz more than any conversation you have with her."

Ressler grunted and felt his blood start boiling when he heard Red speak again softly.

"You complicated things in Ireland, Donald", he said matter of factly. "You need a clear head right now. You both do. And that's not possible because of the boundary you crossed."

Ressler closed his eyes and bit his lip. He hated to admit it, but he knew Red was right.

"I didn't plan for it."

"But it happened. And now I have to worry about saving her life while also worrying about you making a poor decision thinking with the wrong head."

"Watch it, Red….", Ressler said loudly into the phone. "Clearing her name is my #1 priority. Nothing else."

Both men remained quiet on the line, refusing to continue the conversation any longer.

"You get me that info on the President and we'll work it from there."

"Good boy, Donald. My people will be in contact."

Ressler wanted to ask again about Liz. Wanted to demand that Red have her call him. But he decided against it. He was about to hang up when he heard Red say his name again over the phone.

"10pm, tomorrow night. She'll call."

Ressler heard the phone go dead.

* * *

 _ **Hope you guys are still enjoying! Those last few chapters took awhile to develop but I finally think I know where the story is going! Stay tuned...**_


	8. Chapter 8

He sat in his office, tapping the pencil in his hand repeatedly against his desk, staring at the wall. The clock beeped softly as he stared at the bright red numbers.

11:00am

Ressler still had eleven hours until Liz was supposed to call him. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night after Red's phone call. His mind was a million places.

The President of the United States was dirty. Part of an organization that was responsible for wars… the crippling of nations…famine… and countless other acts done out of pure selfishness and greed. He admittedly had a hard time believing it. But Ressler had seen enough in these past years of working for the FBI, and especially on this task force, to know that evil people existed in every shape and color. Even the ones painted as "good guys".

He walked down to Aram's office and pulled him and Samar to the side. Admittedly, he had struggled with whether he should bring the two agents into the fold. He could trust them, he was sure of it. But if he was found out… if they were found out… Ressler wasn't sure he could live with himself if something happened to them because of it.

"I got a phone call last night that some information is coming soon." He looked both agents in their eyes as they held on to his every word.

"What kind of information, boss?" Aram said with a smile.

"The kind that can help someone", Ressler said softly. "Someone we all care about."

Samar nodded. "Just let us know what we need to do."

Ressler pursed his lips slightly and hesitated before he spoke again.

"Listen guys…. I need to know you understand the risk here. This information that I received. It's dangerous. For anyone involved. More dangerous than I previously thought. I just need to know you realize what's at stake here."

Aram frowned and looked over at Samar, who hadn't broken eye contact with Ressler.

He saw her lips open slightly and then look over at him, waiting for his agreeance to what she had planned on saying back to him.

"Just let us know what we need to do." She repeated, her face showing no signs of hesitation.

Ressler smiled softly and nodded, walking towards the elevator.

Samar and Aram continued to prove their loyalty. To Liz…. and to him.

And for that, he was grateful.

…..

He never took lunch breaks. Never really had the need. Ressler understood his obsession with the job. It was a part of him. He barely remembered his life before the Bureau. And part of him didn't want to remember. Those thoughts often took him back to Audrey. And that was a place he still couldn't bear to go.

He sat down at the local coffee shop a few miles away, needing some fresh air, some time to clear his head. He took his jacket off and noticed a few people watching him. Ressler often got stares from bystanders when he was in full suit and tie around the general public. People could read him a mile away. He looked and smelled FBI.

It was shortly after the waitress came by to take his order that he noticed a young woman walking his direction, staring at him without breaking her stride. He looked away for a few seconds but found his eyes come back to hers as she approached him closer. It didn't feel right and Ressler moved his hand to his lap, closer to his FBI registered gun in case he needed to react quickly.

When she got closer, he looked up just in time to see her bump his table, sending the papers in her hand flying all over the floor by his table.

"I'm so sorry, sir. Me and my clumsy self. You'd think I'd grow out of it at a certain age, but no."

Ressler eyed her suspiciously but didn't hesitate to bend down to help her collect her things.

"It's ok, miss. No worries."

He picked up a small white envelope that had fallen and handed it to her but he saw her shake her head no and get up to walk away.

"Sorry again for the troubles", she said as she turned to walk out of the shop.

Ressler looked down in his hands and quickly stuffed the envelope in his suit jacket. He wasn't sure who she was but he was pretty sure of who she was working for. And he knew the information in that envelope was meant for his eyes only.


	9. Chapter 9

The envelope was burning a hole in the side of jacket but he didn't stop to look at it once on his way to his apartment. Ressler still wasn't sure who, if anyone, at the Task Force was working on the other side. He checked his office every other day for bugs under the desk, on top of the bookshelves, in the air vents. He still had yet to find anything, but he didn't trust it.

Whoever was working in the Cabal knew that he and Liz were ex-partners. And with partnership comes a bond that isn't broken so easily. That's one of the reasons why he did most of his work on her whereabouts late at night while he was home. He had installed a state of the art security system right after Liz had shot Connolly and disapperred. He didn't know what or who his enemies were and he definitely wasn't taking any chances.

When he got in his door, he threw his coat off and immediately ripped open the sealed envelope. Inside were pictures. Pictures of the President with his kids and wife. Pictures that had to be taken at least 2 years ago when they were still in his life.

Ressler remembered where he was when he heard that the former Senator of Connecticut had suffered the great tragedy of his family being killed in a boating accident. He remembered the outpouring of media coverage of the event. The well-liked, well-respected politician who loved his family… now had to bury them.

His popularity sky-rocketed after their deaths. A fact that the politician made clear he was uneasy about. He had always been known in the Northeast, but now he was a national figure of pain and bravery in the aftermath of losing his family.

Ressler stared at the pictures for almost an hour. Wondering what he was supposed to be seeing. He was interrupted by a phone call from Aram.

"Ressler, good to hear your voice. Samar and I were worried. You said you may need our help and then disappeared. Everything ok?"

Ressler put the pictures down on this table and sighed.

"Yeah, everything is fine. That information I was discussing came a bit sooner than I had planned. Are you guys able to meet me here in my apartment, say around 8pm?"

"Yeah, no problem, Ressler."

He hung up the phone and picked up one of the photos again wondering what exactly he was supposed to be seeing.

…..

The agents were right on time. Ressler looked down at the time stamp on his video surveillance monitor and saw the two agents waiting patiently at his door at 8:01.

When he originally had purchased his security system, he thought he might have been paranoid. It was extremely complex. A system designed most likely for homes ten times the size of his small apartment. But the safety he felt every day when he looked over the digital film to make sure there hadn't been any intruders, made his paranoia disappear.

He opened the door to see Samar and Aram both carrying bags and he smelled the aroma as soon as they walked into his apartment.

"We couldn't come over your apartment for the first time ever without food." Aram said, looking around Ressler's apartment, almost in awe.

"And beer." Samar said smiling, placing two six packs on his kitchen counter.

"Yeah… I guess I should've had you both over sooner. Don't know what stopped me….", Ressler said as he started getting some glasses and plates from his kitchen.

He was thankful for the two agents in that moment. His mind wanted to interrupt the friendly party and go straight over to the photos for their help in deciphering whatever message he was meant to receive. But he realized he hadn't eaten all day since leaving the lunch café before his food arrived. And he knew they had all night to go over the information. He was starving.

"So what is the information that you've received, Ressler?" Samar said as she sat down on one of his kitchen stools, stuffing a wing in her mouth.

Ressler finished chewing and looked over at the two of them, hoping they wouldn't run away when he said his next statement.

"The President is part of the Cabal."

He watched as Aram's face dropped, looking at him and then over at Samar for the punchline.

"The President…..", Aram said questioningly. "Of the United States?", he asked, still waiting for Ressler to tell him he was mistaken.

"Yes.", Ressler nodded. "I'm afraid so. Which is why I said this investigation just got 100x more complex. And dangerous."

Samar took a swig of her beer and set it down carefully, her poker face still not flinching from the news.

"Ressler, this changes nothing. We've known that we would have to go across some high officials to get Liz's name cleared. The President is no exception."

"But the President…", Aram said standing up and walking towards Ressler. "Where did you get this intel? How do you know this is certain?"

Ressler hesitated for a few seconds before answering.

"Red. I got a phone call from Red."

Both agents weren't expecting that answer. And Ressler hoped they wouldn't dig further in the storyline to ask him how and why Red now considered Ressler an ally.

He started filling in the agents on Red's phone call and how he mentioned that people would be in contact with him to provide information that was crucial to clearing Liz's name and exposing the Cabal organization for what they were. He recalled his encounter at the café earlier during lunch and walked over to show the two agents the pictures that were left for him to see.

"What are these pictures supposed to mean?" Samar asked as she looked through them.

"The President's family has been dead for over 2 years. Do these photos mean the President had something to do with their deaths? They were killed in a boating accident with other friends and family as witnesses. The President wasn't even driving the boat when it hit another one in the lake."

"I've been beating my head against the wall since lunchtime trying to understand", Ressler said with anger in his voice. "I don't get it…. which is why I called you guys over."

They continued to look through the photos, so engrossed in their ideas and theories that Ressler almost didn't hear his cell phone ringing.

His head shot up and he searched panickedly for the direction that he had left his phone in. Knowing that by missing the call, he wouldn't have the chance to call back.

He finally saw the phone laying on his kitchen counter and sprinted over to retrieve it.

He barely looked at the number before pressing the talk button.

"Hello.", he said quickly, his voice out of breath as he spoke.

He heard someone sigh on the other end and finally speak into the other end.

"Ressler", she said softly.

"Liz….", he said reassuringly, failing to remember the inquisitive eyes and ears from Samar and Aram in the next room.


	10. Chapter 10

"It's so good to hear your voice", he heard her say into the phone.

He smiled softly and turned around. Seeing for the first time, the looks on the two agents faces who had heard him say her name into the phone.

Ressler watched as they pointed their head down at the table, pretending to be engrossed in the photos of the President they had just been scouring over.

He walked quickly into his bedroom and closed the door behind him.

"It's good to hear your voice too." He said as he sat on the edge of his bed.

"It's been almost two months Liz…. why didn't you reach out sooner. Is everything ok?"

"Everything is fine, Ressler", she said softly. He noticed the hesitation in her voice and cringed. Something was wrong.

"No it's not. Tell me, Liz."

"Ressler, I'm fine. Just tired. Tired of running. Tired of always looking over my shoulder. I just need it to end. Or I just need to hide away…. For good."

He felt his breath catch in his throat at her statement and closed his eyes.

"You can't do that Liz. You can't do that to me. I'm working on it. I'm going to get you out of this mess and expose them. I just need more time."

He heard her laugh slightly. "Ressler, I know you're doing everything you can. Probably too much. Are you sleeping at all? When is the last time you've eaten?"

He smiled and chuckled to himself. "As a matter of fact, your two favorite agents are in my living room right now with beer and wings. We're going over some information that was given to me today."

Ressler thought she would be happy at the news but all he heard was silence on the other end.

"Liz….", he said nervously, hoping she was still there.

"I wish I was there…", she said softly. He could hear her voice crack through the phone. "Tell them I said hi. And thank them for me."

Ressler was never the best at reading emotions but he realized she was crying on the other end of the line.

"I keep thinking about Ireland…", she said delicately. "Do you regret it?"

Ressler closed his eyes and bit his bottom lip in frustration.

"Liz, no. Not ever." He hesitated before speaking again, uncertain of whether he should ask the question back.

"Do you?"

She sighed heavily in the phone. "Maybe. A little."

Ressler cringed at her words and felt the frustration growing inside of him.

"Liz, if I had known it wasn't something you wanted, I would have never…"

"Stop it, Ressler. That's not what I meant. I did want it…. I needed it."

She paused for a few seconds and Ressler felt an ache in his chest remembering how they both had clung to each other in anguish that night.

"You are my lifeline, Ressler. You have been for a long time. I don't want lines getting crossed that change that. If I were to lose you…."

Ressler interjected quickly.

"You won't lose me, Liz. Not now and not as long as I'm alive. I'm going to fight this. We're working on some solid leads right now. I promise you Liz, I will make this right."

"I know." She said with conviction. "You've always been my knight in shining armor. Even when I don't deserve it."

"Stop it, Liz", Ressler said angrily. "You deserve better than this..."

"And what if I don't. What if this is my destiny. Karma for all my past actions..."

"Liz, what are you talking about?"

"I slept with Tom, Ressler." She said desperately. "Before I shot Connolly and fled the country."

Ressler felt his fists ball up and pursed his lips together tightly.

"I'm not a good person. I'm not worth it. You of all people should know that."

"Liz, that's not true. You are a good person. I don't care about what you think you've done to deserve this. You don't."

They both remained silent on the line.

"I should go, Ressler. I've already spent more than twice the time that I should."

"Liz, wait. Please don't hang up just yet. Can you tell me where you are? What continent at least? You don't understand how crazy I go not knowing where you are… If you're okay."

"You know I can't tell you that", she said, her voice pained.

He swallowed hard and spoke one last time.

"Be safe, Liz. I am going to keep good on my promise."

"I know Ressler. And I love you for it."

Ressler was about to speak again when he heard the phone line go dead.

* * *

 _ **I'll be updating soon with more!**_


	11. Chapter 11

He felt Aram and Samar's eyes on him when he walked back into his living room and sat down on his couch. They didn't say anything. Just continued pretending to be engrossed in the photos, perhaps allowing Ressler to tell them on his own time why Liz was calling him and what was going on.

He closed his eyes and sighed heavily, causing both of them to look up at him.

"She's not doing well." He stated matter of factly.

"That phone call was the first time I had spoken with her since Ireland….". He hesitated, not saying allowed the continuation that it was the first time he had spoken with her since they spent the night together.

He looked up at the agents. "And I'm afraid if we don't do something soon, she's going to give up."

Aram got up from the table and started pacing across Ressler's living room.

"What do you mean 'give up'"… She can't give up. If she turns herself in, they'll crucify her."

Samar bowed her head down, a frown developing on her face.

"He doesn't mean she'll turn herself in, Aram. He means that Liz will simply hide away for good. No intentions of ever clearing her name."

Ressler got up from the table and went over to his kitchen, kicking the wall next to the refrigerator.

"Ressler", Samar yelled while jumping up and walking over to him.

"I can't let her do this. I have to figure this out. WE have to figure this out", he yelled looking at both agents.

"And we will, Ressler", she said calmly. "But you have to calm down. You are no good to Liz like this."

Ressler bowed his head down, knowing Samar was right. Kicking walls wasn't going to help. And if Ressler was honest with himself, his frustration wasn't just about Liz being framed by the Cabal. Some of it had to do with her admission of sleeping with Tom.

He turned his head towards Samar and opened his eyes. She saw his head nod in agreement as she walked back over to the coffee table where the photos were spread.

"What are we not seeing? Someone obviously wanted us to see something in these. We're missing something big." She picked up one of the photos, staring at it curiously.

There were three photos in total, each different. The only thing in common was that all three photos were of the President, his wife and son.

Ressler stared at one of the photos carefully. It showed the President picking up his son, both laughing, with his wife in the background smiling. They were obviously outdoors, there was snow ridden trees everywhere with an iced over lake in the background.

Another picture was of all three family members walking towards a black SUV. The President was carrying his son, who had a winter jacket and mittens on, and was leaning in to kiss his father on the cheek.

Ressler put the photos down and rubbed his temples.

"I think I'm about to bash my head into a wall if I keep staring at these." He said cynically. "If Red's people are trying to give us a message, why can't they just come right out and say it?"

Suddenly, Samar stood up and backed away from the photos.

"Wait….Wait…...Wait….. I need a computer."

Ressler and Aram looked up at her, hoping to understand what just occurred.

"Samar, what is it? What are you thinking?" Aram said as he shot across the room and brought over his laptop.

She took it from him and typed in a few sentences before her face lit with shock.

"These photos…. Look closely at the boy's face."

Ressler and Aram grabbed the photos from the table and continued to stare into them, hoping to see whatever it was that had Samar in a tizzy.

"Do you remember his accident? It happened a month before the boating incident where they were killed. The little boy had to get airlifted to the hospital from their home in Connecticut because he fell from his tree house and cracked his right temple."

Aram nodded and Ressler looked at her quizzically.

"The son fell from his hospital bed in July. The boating accident that killed them was only a month later in August. These photos right here were taken in the winter, Ressler."

Ressler suddenly grabbed the photo of the President holding the boy with snow on the ground.

"Look at his right temple…. The scar from his fall is there."

There was no way these photos were "old" photos, not if the boy's scar from his fall were there. Which meant only one thing... These photos were recent.

Ressler stood up and looked Samar and Aram both in the eyes.

"They're alive."


	12. Chapter 12

Ressler's face stood still in shock.

Aram broke the silence first.

"I don't understand. Someone please help me understand. If the President's family is alive, what does that mean? Why would he fake their deaths?"

Samar turned to him.

"To gain the support of the nation. Without a national story, he's just a regional politician in the rat race to become something greater."

Ressler interjected.

"But with his family dead, he's seen as a national hero. His face is everywhere, his story is everywhere. He shoots up in popularity and even people who don't agree with his policies will feel sorrow and support for him."

"But he didn't actually kill his family. They're still alive. Which means that if his cover is blown, his whole Presidency is blown."

Ressler sat down for a moment to collect his thoughts. He and Keen had worked a case during their first year together that involved a politician who was willing to kill his wife and child to gain popularity. An organization like the Cabal would not allow the President's wife and son to stay alive if there was a chance they'd be discovered. Their whole cover would be blown.

Samar came to the same conclusion and turned to Ressler.

"The Cabal would never allow his family to stay alive if the nation thought they were dead. They are a ruthless organization. They don't care about the welfare of his wife and child. They would do anything it took to place him in the President's chair to control their initiatives."

Ressler thought about her words for a moment, blinking when the light bulb finally hit him.

"Guys, I don't think the Cabal knows. I think the President was told to kill his family but instead decided to hide them out." Ressler said, watching as the realization hit both Samar and Aram.

"Which means if we out his family, we can out the Cabal."

….

Much to Ressler's dismay, Samar had ordered the agents to get some sleep for the night. With the realization that they may have just found their smoking gun to expose the Cabal, all three agents were on a high. But there was not much they could do at 1am. She and Aram left his apartment, vowing to re-group in the morning and begin their manhunt to find the President's wife and child.

His mind was going a million miles a minutes as he laid down in bed. This was the first solid lead, first solid piece of undeniable proof they had uncovered since Liz had gone on the run. He would be lying if he said he didn't start to let himself actually wonder if it was possible for her to return and not face prosecution.

All this time, Ressler had never let himself imagine the 'what ifs'. What if he couldn't absolve her? What if the Cabal found her location before he did and killed off both her and Reddington? What if she never came back to him?

With that last thought in his head, he suddenly heard his phone ring again and wondered who would be calling this late at night.

"Ressler", he said into the phone, without looking at the caller id.

"Ressler…. It's me again."

"Liz…", he thought he might have been dreaming but sat up in bed, knowing full well that he was awake.

"Yeah… I know it's late. I just…. I didn't like how our conversation ended earlier. I just needed you to know how much I appreciate everything you're doing for me." She paused for a bit. "Everything you have already done."

Ressler waited, wondering if there was more she wanted to get off her chest.

"And to tell you that I'm sorry. For everything. I know what this has done to you…. What it continues to do to you. I never meant for it to happen."

"Shhhh… Liz. None of this. None of it is your fault. You don't even realize how deep this goes."

"What do you mean?"

"We found out some information tonight. Some info that could be the first step to helping clear your name. Don't give up hope Liz. I need you to keep fighting."

He heard her breathe deeply on the other end.

"I won't." She said firmly.

"Good." Ressler said, hoping she could hear the determination in his voice. He remembered her words from their earlier conversation about him being her white knight. He'd never heard her speak like that before… not about him. He hoped he could live up to it when she really needed it.

"Liz…", he said softly before she cut him off.

"Ressler… I don't regret it." She said abruptly. "I needed you to know that. It's been hard for me…. since that night in Ireland. I wasn't really sure of what it meant...", she said, her voice trailing off.

"It's not like we could ever be together in reality anyway, right", she said, almost laughing. "I'm on the run… you're head of the task force dedicated to finding and/or killing me."

Her words stung Ressler. He sat there in silence… not sure how to react.

"It meant something to me, Liz." He said in almost a whisper. He heard her breath catch on the other end of the phone.

"Me too." She said softly back to him. "I care about you Ressler… I hope you know that. And I'm sorry for throwing that bit about Tom into our conversation earlier. You didn't deserve that."

He felt their conversation drifting into dangerous territory, but he couldn't stop.

"Do you still love him?"

"Does it matter?", she said softly before speaking again.

"I don't know. Maybe… I think a part of me always will. But we won't ever be together. I can say that with certainty now."

Ressler felt the lump in his throat and tried to swallow it, but he couldn't speak.

"Why?", he asked boldly, regaining his composure.

"Why what", she asked, knowing full well what Ressler meant.

"Why do you know that with full certainty now?"

"Ressler…..", she begged.

"Tell me, Liz. Please."

He heard her open her mouth to speak, but stop. She knew he already knew the answer. She knew why he was so hell bent on asking her this. And she knew she had to tell him the truth.

"Because that night in Ireland… I felt it too, Ressler. And I could never go back to him, knowing what might be waiting there with you."

Ressler felt his eyes close, taking in her words. Neither of them spoke for what seemed like minutes. Instead, allowing the silence to serve as a declaration of the truth between them. Finally.

He heard Red's voice in the background and knew what was coming.

"Ressler, I have to go now. Are you there?"

"I'm here, Liz. Don't give up on me."

"Have I ever?", she said slyly, eliciting a laugh from him.

"No", he said firmly. "And please don't start now."

"I won't, Ressler. I promise."


	13. Chapter 13

_**Finally finished this story! Hope you guys like these next few chapters! They were a blast to write :-)**_

* * *

Most of the building was dark when Ressler got to work the next morning. He had kidded himself into believing that he could actually get some sleep after discovering the evidence on the President and speaking with Liz. But after a few hours of mindlessly counting sheep while staring at his ceiling, he had decided just to throw on some clothes and head to the Post Office.

He walked into his office and did his daily sweep for hidden cameras and microphones... still in denial each time he had to walk past his old office with Keen and up the stairs to his new Director's office. With the new information about the President of the United States being in on the Cabal, Ressler was not feeling good about his privacy. He knew there were people working on the inside. And the fact that he hadn't discovered them yet, worried him.

About 30 minutes later, he sat down at his desk and looked over the photos from the night before. The key would be finding the location of the President's wife and son. And if the only evidence they had were in pictures, they would need to go over every detail with a fine tooth comb.

A few minutes after he had sat down at his office, a loud knock came at his door. He looked out and saw Aram standing there, looking flustered.

"I'm so glad you're already here", he said while walking quickly past Ressler who had opened the door to let him inside. "I need to see those photos again."

Ressler walked over to his desk and pulled them out of the drawer he had just stuffed them into when he heard the frantic knock on the door.

He watched as Aram sat down and looked at one of the photos closely. His eyes glued into a small detail in the right upper corner of the picture.

"I knew it", he said, looking up to Agent Ressler. "When I left your apartment last night, my mind was going a million places but the trees kept sticking out to me. They are unique and only common in certain parts of the world. So I went home and started researching…."

He put his briefcase down and pulled out a couple sheets of paper.

"These trees are called Larix Decidua", he said, handing Ressler the papers. "Or generally called the 'European Larch'. They are native to the mountainous regions in Central Europe."

Ressler looked down in his hands to see information on the exact trees from the picture with the President's family. He looked back up at Aram, his eyes bulging, hoping the young agent wasn't done with his discovery.

"More specifically… we're probably only looking at about two countries where trees like this would grow in such large quantities… northern Poland and southern Lithuania."

Ressler put the papers down and closed the distance between himself and Aram, hugging the agent tight. Aram could barely breathe and had to mutter a cough to get Ressler to release him.

"Sorry Aram…", he said as he broke away. "Great work. Really great work."

Aram smiled and nodded his head. He had always respected Agent Ressler… even looked up to him at times. He definitely wanted to make the agent proud and felt happy to do so.

"So what do we do now?" Aram asked while he saw Ressler walking back towards his desk.

"Now that we know the area where they might be in hiding, we need to do some detective work. Start researching large properties on large acreage of land that were acquired or changed hands right around the time they were supposedly killed."

Aram shook his head in agreement. "I can get on that, sir. And I'll call Agent Navabi to get her ETA so she can help as well."

"I'm right here", she said, standing at the door. "Sorry I'm late to the party."

….

She looked up from her computer screen, rubbing her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room around her. They had been going at it for hours. She and Aram trying desperately to pull any details they could about high value housing transactions where the President's family may be hiding.

She looked over at him and smiled.

"Great job, by the way", she said with a smirk. Aram looked up suddenly, surprised at her compliment.

"Uh… thanks Samar.", he said sheepishly. "I mean, I appreciate the compliment, Agent Navabi."

She laughed softly and looked back down at her computer screen.

"I think we've grown past the 'Agent Navabi' stage, have we not?"

Aram's eyes squinted and he stuttered a bit in his response.

"We have?", he said softly. "I mean, yes, if you say so. We have. I will refrain from calling you Agent Navabi in the future."

He kicked himself for being so awkward and looked back down at his paperwork.

"I like you, Aram. I can't believe you haven't figured that out by now."

Before he had a chance to speak back, he saw Agent Ressler headed their way. He looked back over at her, but she was still looking down at her computer screen. Completely oblivious to how her words had just exploded his world.

"Any luck yet?" Ressler put his hands on Aram's desk and looked between the two agents.

"Not yet, sir. The area we're researching is vast. It's going to take some time to look through everything and get some viable leads."

Ressler sighed. "Time is what we don't have right now, Aram."

Aram nodded back and continued his work as Ressler watched.

"Sorry…I didn't mean that to come across like it did." Aram watched as Ressler put his head in his hands and closed his eyes.

"I'm frustrated. Anxious for answers. And unfortunately, I still have a job to do as the leader of this task force. They expect leads from me on that front. I can't help the two of you like I want to. Need to."

Samar looked up for the first time at Ressler and pursed her lips. "Ressler, you don't need to apologize. We understand. And believe me when I say, we are doing everything we can to help clear her name."

She looked back down at her computer and Aram saw her eyes hone in on something.

"Hey, doesn't the President have a half-sister he is estranged from? What was her name?" Samar asked, looking up at them.

"Alyssa Simmons, I believe. She's a musician… travels the world performing if I'm correct. Why?" Aram asked softly.

"Because unless this is a huge coincidence, an Alyssa Simmons purchased a 3.5 million dollar home in Simnas, Lithuania right before the President's family was killed."

Ressler walked over to Samar's computer and looked over her screen.

"Holy crap", he said as he looked over at her. His heart started beating fast and his face flushed. "Why would the President's sister purchase a 50 acre property in the middle of nowhere Lithuania?"

A slow smirk crept on Aram's face. "To hide her estranged brother's family."


	14. Chapter 14

Ressler sat on the plane to Kaunus, Lithuania with his eyes closed, trying to get some rest and give his brain time off from the intensity of the past few days. It wasn't working.

He heard a small noise on his right and saw Samar's head nodding up and down. Apparently, she was able to sleep through all the chaos. He laughed softly and re-positioned his leg, accidentally hitting hers.

She stirred and caught herself in what seemed like a moment of embarrassment, as she felt the drool pooling around the corner of her lip.

"Sorry about that…", she said while looking over at him. "Sleep is something I have been lacking as of late."

Ressler smiled softly. "I know the feeling."

He stuck his head into the aisle and saw Aram a few rows up with his computer out, still trying to dig up as much info as he could on the property where the President's family could be hiding before the plane touched down.

"Do you want to tell me what really happened in Ireland?", she said curtly.

He looked over, his eyes becoming daggers into hers.

She continued on, unaffected by the look of disdain across his face.

"I know you, Ressler. Better than you think I do. Something changed in Ireland. Something that changed your outlook and perspective on this manhunt for them." She saw his eyes lower and look down at his hands.

Samar thought about stopping, but needed him to hear her out.

"I need to know your feelings for Liz won't get me, Aram or yourself killed. That you can be objective if we are faced with a tough situation… especially one where she is in danger."

Ressler closed his eyes.

Samar knew. As best as he had tried to disguise it, she could see right through him.

He opened his eyes and looked over at her. He thought about arguing. Denying he had any feelings for his ex-partner beyond the norm. But he didn't have the energy… Not now.

"I can. I will." He said softly but firm.

"Good", she said as a smile started to form across her lips. "And it's about time… it's been nauseating to watch you two dance around each other for the past year."

He chuckled and looked over her.

"I could say the same about you and Aram though… couldn't I?" He said while turning his head, leaving Samar laughing loudly and shaking her head.

…..

After the plane landed, the agents got into two separate rental cars and decided to head to a hotel about 15 minutes away from the Simnas property where the President's family could be hiding.

Ressler plopped his bag onto his hotel bed and went to the window. He looked out across the area surrounding them. The trees, which Aram had identified in the photos, surrounded the hotel property. He got goosebumps knowing that they could be close to the truth. Close to being one step further in exonerating his ex-partner and bringing to light the conspiracy surrounding the Cabal organization.

He heard a knock on his door and walked to the peephole, seeing the two agents at his door.

As soon as he opened the door, Aram stood there, dressed in all black.

Ressler laughed. Aram didn't have too much field experience. Hence why he was dressed like one of the spies in the James Bond franchise.

"What is it?", he said as he walked into Ressler's room and started setting up his computer. Samar followed and prepared herself to go over the details of their plan.

"Nothing. Let's do this."


	15. Chapter 15

Ressler realized as he pulled up to the outskirts of the property, that he hadn't had much sleep in the last 48 hours. _Too late now_ , he thought to himself. This was what he had been waiting for the past 6 months since Liz had gone on the run. A chance to redeem her. A chance to out the organization that was responsible for setting her up and putting her in a situation where she felt forced to kill the Attorney General.

He looked over at Aram and Samar and silently thanked them again for trusting in him. For trusting in Liz.

The plan was for Ressler to head east, where the forest backed up to the property, and hop over the 10' electronic fence. Aram had been able to hack into the property's security system, " _quite easily_ " he had added, and was going to stay back in the car to communicate with Ressler and Samar over radio. Samar was going to try to work her way onto the property by pretending to be a new member of the cleaning staff who was filling in for their usual girl who was out sick.

They knew from the press that the President was currently vacationing in Paris, taking time away from the hardships of the office. Ressler had wondered what it must be like for him. Knowing his family was alive, but not being able to spend any time with them. He didn't pity the man. He had known the type of organization he was getting himself into. But he didn't envy him. Selling your soul to the devil had its downfalls.

When Ressler arrived to the east side of the property, he noticed the fence was almost 15', not 10' like Aram had deduced from the satellite images. He radioed in that he was at the fence and waited for Aram to do his computer magic.

About 3 minutes later, he gave Ressler the go ahead that the fence was offline and safe to scale and climb over.

Ressler made his way up the fence, hesitating at the top to look over for any security that may have been on that side of the property. He could see the house in the distance, far away, blending into the landscape. When he concluded that it was safe for him to jump over, he did so and started jogging towards the property.

Ressler was dressed to resemble the security staff they had seen on Aram's surveillance. Black shirt with gray long pants and black shoes. Although if anyone got close enough, they would easily be able to tell that his outfit was just a replication and not an exact match. But hopefully by the time they got that close, Ressler would be able to defend himself if necessary.

Once he got nearer to the house, he made his way to the corner where he was slightly hidden from view and radioed into Aram. Samar has apparently succeeded in getting through the front gates but had been instructed to make her way to the guest house instead of the main house as planned. He panicked for a few seconds but quickly remembered how good she was at undercover work. If she had been made, she'd find a way to get herself out of it.

He put it away quickly and started walking up towards the back door of the home. He heard a dog barking in the distance and starting looking through the glass windows to see if he could get eyes on the President's family. He had no idea where they were in the home, or if they were even home at the time. But the plan was to get some quality photos of the wife and son and plant some small cameras throughout the home.

He opened the door and walked into the home, immediately taken back by the smell. Someone was baking what smelled like lasagna. Ressler walked slowly towards the kitchen and looked inside. He saw the President's wife, huddled over the stove, while her son sat at the kitchen table playing a video game on his gadget.

He had been hoping he wouldn't have to get this close. The last thing Ressler wanted to do was make the wife and son frightened in any way. He just needed proof. Real proof that they were alive. That their deaths had been faked in a way to gain national support and hoist the President in a role where he could carry out the Cabal's operatives.

He silently wondered where Agent Navabi was and decided to try to get a better angle from the room across the hall. He walked softly but realized quickly that the floorboards were not his friend. The creaking sound immediately drew the eyes of the President's wife, who looked over at him, fear resonating throughout her face.

"Who are you?", she said while backing away and standing near her son. "You're not supposed to be inside. I don't recognize you."

"Relax, ma'am. I'm part of the new detail. We've had instructions to tighten up the security the next few days. I'm just doing my job."

She looked at him for a moment. Allowing Ressler's words to sink in and to decide if they were believable.

He thought he heard a sound from the room next door and as soon as his eyes drifted to the door, he saw her run to the other side of the kitchen, pressing the panic button on what appeared to be the home's security system.

"Relax. Please stay calm. I don't want to hurt you. I just…", Ressler struggled for the right words. He had his gun in his hands but quickly tucked it back into his holster.

He needed to convey that his reasons for breaking into their home weren't criminal. But he would be naïve to not understand that they also would put the wife and son in much harm. If people found out who they were, and that they were still alive, there would be great lengths to make sure they wouldn't talk.

He was just about to explain himself in greater detail when he saw a figure emerge from the opposite end of the room. He almost had to do a double-take at the eyes looking back his way.

"Liz?", he said softly, taking a few steps toward her.

"Ressler! Watch out!", he heard her scream just as a blunt force hit him on his head and knocked him to the ground.


	16. Chapter 16

His eyes opened to darkness around him. He squinted and sharply took in a breath once his body registered the pain permeating from the top of his head. He cursed softly and tried to being his hands up to touch it but was restricted. He looked down to see handcuffs tightly around his wrists.

"Hey… you ok", a voice said from a few feet away.

Liz.

He lifted his head up and saw her a couple feet away in the same position as him.

Ressler didn't understand. What the hell was she doing there?

"Liz… why are you here? I don't understand."

She looked at him and sighed.

"I got impatient. When you said you had a big lead, I forced Red into letting me know what it was… what was going on. He told me they had reason to believe the President's family was alive. Although, he was unsure of the exact location of where they hiding."

She paused for a minute and stared at him.

"I was listening in on one of his conversations yesterday and he mentioned this house. That the President's sister owned it and he was going to send some people here to verify in the next couple days."

"I couldn't wait any longer… So I left Germany, where we were hiding. Grabbed one of my alias passports and headed here in hopes of seeing the truth for myself. The truth that could clear my name."

Ressler stared at her incredulously, his blood boiling over at her carelessness.

"Liz… that was stupid! Do you know how many people are looking for you?", he said, a little louder than he meant to. "You could've been killed. Does Red even know you're here? You just came without back-up? What if I hadn't found this place and been here? You could've been killed and gone forever without anyone knowing! Do you even realize what that would've done to me!"

He stopped for a second, realizing she had turned her face away and was staring down at her hands. Ressler closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. He was upset at her, yes. But his anger was more about the fact that he had blown his mission. Not the fact that she was sitting right beside him.

"I'm sorry." He said softly, opening his eyes. He watched her continue to look down, unaffected by his apology.

"Liz…. I didn't mean to go off on you. I know you are frustrated."

"Frustrated?", she said, quickly turning her head to look at him. Her eyes covered in wet tears.

"Frustrated doesn't even begin to describe what I'm feeling, Ressler. I'm angry. Pissed. My whole life has been a lie from the time I was born until the time I got married. And now I'm a fugitive on the run, accused of being a Russian spy and shooting the Attorney General of the United States!"

Her voice cracked at the mention of Tom Connolly.

"I needed answers, Ressler. I needed things to change. I can't do this any longer. I won't."

Her voice drifted off and she closed her eyes, turning away from him.

Ressler wanted to comfort her. But nothing he could say or do would suffice. She was right. Things needed to change. It had been over six months. She was cracking.

Truth be told, so was he.

…..

He looked over at the steps leading up to the basement door.

"Aram and Samar should've been here by now. Something is wrong." He said, thinking out loud.

Liz sighed. It had been a few hours since they had been locked away and there hadn't been any stir of activity from above.

"It doesn't matter anyway, now. If and when we do get out of here, all of the evidence will be gone, including the President's wife and son."

Ressler knew she was right. If they hadn't already left, they were close to it now. There was no way they could stay in this house knowing there were people out there who knew they were alive. They would go even deeper underground.

"Don't give up on me, Liz." He looked over at her and saw her eyes meet his. Hope draining out of them with each second that went by.

All of a sudden the basement door flew open and they saw feet slowly walking down the stairs.

Ressler tensed up. He tried to scoot his body closer to Liz, but his feet were tied to a rope behind him.

A man, possibly in his mid 40s, appeared in front of them, staring at them both closely.

"What are you doing here? Who sent you?" He said, his eyes mostly on Liz.

Ressler interjected.

"We don't want any trouble. This is all a misunderstanding."

The man laughed and looked back at Ressler's ex-partner.

"I know who you are, Elizabeth Keen", he said slyly. "Your face has been on almost every news channel for the past few months. You shot the US Attorney General." He paused as a smile grew on his face.

"You've been a bad girl…"

"Hey pal, listen. I'm the one you want. My name is Donald Ressler, with the FBI. I'm not sure what you have going on here, but this is all some kind of mix-up, ok? My task force has been hunting Elizabeth Keen down for almost 6 months now. We heard she had been holed up somewhere right outside of here and I chased her to this property."

Ressler stopped. He knew his excuse was weak. Hell, it sounded like a lie even coming out of his mouth. But he needed something. Anything, to get this guy to believe him.

The guy turned towards Ressler and walked up to him.

"Do I look like I was born yesterday…. Donald?" He kicked Ressler hard, right in his side, causing him to fall on the ground.

"No! Stop, please!", Liz cried out. "Yes, I'm Elizabeth Keen and I didn't come here by accident. I came here to clear my name. To out the fact that the President's wife and son are still alive. I can help them. I can help the President by outing the organization that forced him to hide his wife and son and fake their deaths."

She stopped, hoping she was getting through to this man.

He looked at her, not saying a word, and looked back over at Ressler.

"You're lucky Ms Keen was here to save your ass. Another lie from your mouth and you would've regretted it."

He walked back up the stairs quickly as Ressler got up from where he had fallen over.

"Ressler…", Liz said.

"I'm fine." He said curtly, just as the door swung open again and another set of feet began walking down the stairs.

Liz and Ressler watched in amazement as the man began to come into view.

They both stared… awestruck at who was standing in front of them.

The President of the United States.


	17. Chapter 17

Ressler sat up straighter as the President approached him.

The man was tall. Taller than Ressler had realized and what he appeared on television. He saw Liz look over at him, blindly hoping there was a plan.

They had never expected this. Either of them. To be face front with the leader of their free nation, who happened to be knee deep in the organization they were trying to expose.

He walked over to Liz, his eyes unwavering.

"Why are you here, Ms. Keen?" He said, his voice strong and firm. "You think by exposing my family that you can… what? Exonerate yourself from the charges laid out against you by the United States of America?"

He bent down next to her.

"You shot the Attorney General. Your mother was a Russian spy… and so are you by all accounts. And you think I will work with you? Trust you… even though you broke into my family's home to harm them?"

Liz shivered at his coldness. The President was able to turn off his charm just as easily as he turned it on.

"Sir, with all due respect, you put your family in harm's way the moment you became involved with the Cabal and valued the Presidency over the safety and welfare of your own wife and son."

"Liz….", Ressler said, looking over at her, begging her to stop.

"I thought you were an honest man. I voted for you myself. And to find out that you are involved with the death and destruction of how many lives? How many people had to die so that you and your comrades could further your personal agendas?"

The President got up from in front of her. "You know nothing about the sacrifices I've made for my country."

He looked over at Ressler. "And what about you? I did some digging on you… You're in charge of the task force to hunt Ms. Keen down. Your former partner." He stopped and smiled. "And now you're working with her? Helping her to expose my family? To expose me?"

Ressler began to speak but was interrupted.

"So what happened, Agent Ressler?" He said walking towards him. "How did you go from hunting her down to this Bonnie & Clyde fiasco you have going on here?"

He stopped talking and turned towards Liz.

"Did you fall in love?"

Ressler pursed his lips and tried to get up out of his restraints, only to fall back down.

"Simmer down, Agent Ressler. I don't blame you… Elizabeth is a beautiful woman. But she's still a killer."

Liz looked over at Ressler and saw him doing whatever it took to calm himself down.

"I don't understand...", Liz said softly. "You had to hide your wife and kids from the Cabal so they wouldn't be killed. We're trying to help you."

The President laughed loudly.

"My wife…. My wife is more deeply connected to the Cabal than you could ever imagine. She's the reason I'm President of the United States. She sacrificed herself and our child for me. For us. For the agenda."

Liz looked over at Ressler, who was completely flabbergasted. He had never run any information on the President's wife. From what he remembered, she was from a small town in Illinois. Taught elementary school before marrying the councilman from Connecticut who had lofty dreams. How was she connected?

"I can see that you both are confused. No worries. The least I can do is tell you the "why" before I have to kill you."

Liz closed her eyes, a tear escaping from her face, as the President told them how his wife's family has been connected to the Cabal for years. Her father is the one who dreamed the plan to have her death faked so her husband could be catapulted into the Presidency. It had been their best shot at having someone sit on the Presidency as a member of the secret organization. And his wife was willing to do whatever it took to make sure it happened…. Including faking her own death.

Liz opened her eyes and looked over at Ressler, whose face was resigned. His eyes showed sorrow. Pain. Regret. And she knew hers conveyed the same.

"You son of a bitch." Ressler said, looking over at the President. "You touch her and I will…"

"You'll what, Agent Ressler? Kill me?"

He laughed as two body guards came down the stairs and waited for instruction from the President.

"Be careful what you say right now. I can make this quick and painless…. Or the complete opposite." He said, while looking over at Liz.

"Get these two upstairs now and out in the back with the other two. We don't want any mess in the house."

He looked over his shoulder as he was heading up the stairs and stopped.

"You know… it's a shame you two were playing on the opposite side. The fact that you figured part of this thing out… the Cabal could've used your smarts."

…

Liz walked up the stairs, being led by one of the guards, and looked back towards Ressler. His head was still bleeding from the blow he took earlier in the day.

"Keep moving, princess." The guard said to her as he dragged her forward, out the back doors. She saw Aram and Samar ahead and gasped. They were on their knees, shoulder to shoulder, as another guard stood behind them with a gun in his hands.

Liz felt herself start sobbing. She hadn't seen them in over 6 months. They had risked their lives for her. To help her. And now they would be killed because of it.

As they got closer, she heard Aram yell out her name.

"That's enough… stop right here", the guard who was leading her said as he jerked her body back.

He forced her on her knees and she heard Ressler being told to do the same right beside her.

She looked over at him, her eyes red from the tears that were still falling from her face.

"Ressler", she said, hardly able to get the words out through her sobbing. "I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry."

"Liz, your whole life isn't a lie." He said stoically, his face showing a tenderness that was rare from the agent. "You said earlier that was the case but it's not true."

He closed the distance between where they were kneeling and kissed her softly on the lips, both of their hands and feet still bound.

"If nothing else was right in our lives… we could've been."

She choked back tears as she looked him in the eyes and nodded.

"Enough of that. Separate yourselves, now!" The guard shouted as they both heard him take the safety off of his gun.

Ressler moved even closer to his ex-partner and closed his eyes as Liz burrowed her face in his neck.

He felt a calmness he hadn't felt in a long time. Her lips grazed his neck as her hot tears continued to fall on his skin.

"Ressler…", her voice broke, as she prepared herself for their fate.

"I'm sorry I never told you before how much you mean to me, Liz", he said softly, as they clung to each other. "I'm sorry I never got a chance to tell you how much I love…."

BANG! A loud shot rang out, stopping Ressler mid-sentence, as he and Liz fell to the ground.

He opened his eyes, expecting the pain from the gunshot to overcome him soon and put him out of his misery. But nothing came.

He saw Liz's eyes open, searching around for an answer as to why they both were alive and who the gunshot was intended for.

Ressler used his restrained hands to lift himself up and saw the guards who had been behind them, laying on the ground. Bullets in both of their foreheads.

"Liz!", he screamed. "Liz, get up, come on, we have to get out of here!"

He looked over to where Samar and Aram had been and saw the same exact sight. The guard who had been standing behind them was now on the ground.

Liz stood up, her face still soaked with tears and turned towards the edge of the property as she saw two people scaling the fence and running over to them.

 _Dembe_. She thought as she saw one of the men heading over to where Aram and Samar were standing.

Ressler turned his head and watched a man run over towards Liz and begin to take off her restraints.

 _Red._


	18. Chapter 18

They sat in silence on the way back to hotel. All three agents had piled into the SUV with Dembe and Red, Liz sitting in the back, her head down and eyes closed.

They had immediately gone back into the house, once Red and Dembe had killed the guards and untied Samar, Aram, Liz and Ressler. But the house was empty. The President and his wife and child were gone. All evidence of their presence was erased. Wiped clean.

Liz had broken down in that moment. Her chance of exoneration had been so close… and yet she was back at square one. No solid evidence of a global conspiracy. No evidence that could have justified the murder of Tom Connolly.

Ressler had tried to console her. So had Red. But to no avail.

She was still a wanted criminal. She was still thought to be a spy against The United States of America… on the run with one of the most celebrated and wanted criminals over the past decade. Raymond Reddington.

Ressler saw the hotel in the distance and immediately felt his heart drop at yet another goodbye. He couldn't take her back with him. He couldn't fulfill his promise of helping get her out of this mess. He had failed. And it cut him like a knife.

When they pulled up, he watched Aram and Samar leave the van, giving a nod to Red and Dembe for coming to their rescue… saving their lives.

Ressler sat in the van, unable to move. He saw Red look back at him and purse his lips.

"Agent Ressler…", he said, his voice showing more compassion than Ressler ever remembered him having.

Ressler looked to his left at Liz. Her head still down and eyes still closed.

"Liz…", he said softly. "I won't leave you… I can't leave you like this."

Ressler heard Red clear his throat. He understood exactly what Ressler meant by that statement. He wanted to make sure the agent knew just what he was about to say… what he was about to throw away if he chose to not get out of the SUV.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him. Her mouth opened slightly as she spoke.

"We could've been… right? Something good?", she said as she smiled softly.

Ressler bit his lip, his hands moving over to cover hers.

He looked up at the passenger seat where Red was staring back at him and nodded.

"Donald", he said slowly. "You can't go back from this."

Ressler was about to speak as he was interrupted by Aram running back to the SUV doors.

"Guys! We have it! We have evidence! I just checked my computer and it looks like we were able to get a ton of footage from the house."

Aram turned to look at Ressler in the backseat.

"Ressler… you forgot to mention that you had time to place a camera in the house before you were caught."

Ressler dropped his head low. In all the mayhem, he vaguely remembered that one of his cameras had fallen out of his hand right before he had confronted the President's wife and son. He looked over at Liz, who was now looking up confused between Aram and Ressler.

"Aram… what does this mean? Please tell me we got good footage. Usable footage", she said, a spark in her eyes that wasn't previously there.

"Not only did we get footage of the wife and son. We got footage of the President himself, speaking to his team about covering everything up. I haven't had time to look through it all but it looks like we even got footage of the two of you being led out of the house by the President's men. It shows everything."

Liz looked over at Ressler, a smile now forming on her face.

"She breathed deeply and closed her eyes, tears falling down her face.

"We did it.", she said softly as her head dropped into her hands.

Ressler looked over at her and smiled.

"I think we did." He said as he heard Reddington instruct Dembe to inform the pilot they needed the plane fueled and ready in an hour.

"But it's still not safe for you yet to go back home." He looked over at Red who shook his head in agreement.

"Soon Lizzie…", Red said as he turned around to look at her.

"Soon."


	19. Chapter 19

It was a bit of a melee when the agents' plane landed down at Dulles International.

Ressler had called Deputy Reven Wright immediately after their discovery of the camera footage. He let her know that although he knew Elizabeth Keen was still being charged for the murder of Tom Connolly, new evidence had been discovered to blow apart the case in a way she could only see to believe.

He didn't let it be known they had information on the President and his involvement in the Cabal. He didn't know who around Deputy Wright could be trusted and he let that be known to her.

She had given her word that she would only pull in the people she trusted innately. No one else. And when Ressler, Aram and Samar brought the evidence to her, she had kept her word.

Ressler had spent the next two days, with Aram and Samar, in testimony about the secret organization called The Cabal and how they came to find the evidence that the President's family, along with Tom Connolly, was involved.

Wright had instructed Ressler that they needed to speak with Keen. Immediately.

If they were to take the evidence as truth, they needed to interrogate her about her family history, her work, and her dealings with Raymond Reddington. He had reached out to Dembe soon thereafter and Liz and Red landed under FBI protection and made their way to be questioned.

Ressler hadn't been allowed to see her nor get any information about how her questioning was going. Everything was very hush. Especially with all that was at stake. Keeping a low-profile was important, especially since the President was being accused of being a traitor to his country.

Ressler sat down at his desk, two days after Liz's plane had landed, and finally was able to put his head in his hands and close his eyes. It had been almost 48 hours straight with no sleep. And finally… finally… he had received word that charges against Elizabeth Keen were being dropped temporarily... until they could validate the claims against the President of the United States and the organization that seemed to be pulling the strings.

He wasn't sure what was going to come of all the new found information the FBI now had on this organization. Nor did he know just how the President and his involvement would be handled. But Ressler didn't care. All he needed to do was to see Liz. To make sure that she was okay.

He had been told she was being released from custody in 30 minutes. He checked his watch again and looked over to see Aram on his way to his office door.

"Hey boss", he said cheerfully. "I heard about Liz being released from custody soon. Does that mean she's cleared to come back to work?"

Ressler cleared his throat and put his hands on his desk.

"I don't think it's that easy", he said as his lips formed a frown. "But it's not impossible. I'm not quite sure what this means as of right now."

Aram looked at him and nodded. "Well, at least she's back, right? Not on the run anymore. At least she has part of her life back."

Ressler smiled softly and nodded as Aram turned away from his office and headed back to his desk.

…

When he got to the holding room where Liz was being questioned, he stopped cold. She was there. In the flesh. Hugging Reddington and crying. He thought about interrupting but decided against it. He waited outside of the door until it opened and Red walked out alone.

"Donald…", he said, stopping and smirking at the agent.

"Red", he said, nodding his head. Their relationship had changed over the past months since Liz had been on the run. Morphed into something unknown… unspoken.

"Liz should be out in a few minutes, just taking care of some last minute things. I take it you'll be taking care of how she gets home." He looked at Ressler as a smirk came over his face.

"And by home, I mean I've purchased her a nice, one-bedroom loft about 20 minutes away from here. It's stocked and ready for her arrival. Unless you had plans to take her somewhere else and celebrate her freedom…."

Ressler's jaw tightened as Red continued to try to press his buttons as only he could.

Ressler's face became serious for a moment as he stared into Red's eyes.

"Red… I know we don't always see eye to eye. But you kept Liz safe. Kept her from harm's way… even when that harm was me", he said as he extended his hand out. "Thank you."

Red looked down at his hand and smiled as he shook it. "You know, Donald, I don't think we'll ever see eye to eye. Not about most things. But Liz….. I know we both care about her very much. And that makes you okay with me."

He patted Ressler on the shoulder and walked off as Liz opened the door and saw Ressler standing there.

"Hey", she said, as she smiled at him. Ressler hadn't seen that expression on her in months.

"You look like shit, Ressler."

He laughed and nodded.

"I hear you need a ride home." He said as he held an elbow out for her to latch on.

"Home sounds amazing."


	20. Chapter 20

Ressler pulled up to his apartment building and stopped the car, looking over at Liz.

"I know Red bought you a new place… but I was thinking maybe it would be safer here with me tonight. You can have the bed, I'll sleep on the couch."

He realized he was mumbling and stopped as Liz started to smile and pulled the latch on the car door, hopping out without saying a word.

When they got upstairs, he put her bag in the bedroom and went over the kitchen to fix two plates of the Chinese takeout they had stopped and picked up on the way.

She came behind him and leaned up against the counter.

"This feels strange", she said looking over at him. He turned around and stopped.

"Liz, I can take you to your apartment if you'd like…"

"No. Not that. I just meant…. this. Being here with you. Not looking over my shoulder in some strange flat with Red in the next room."

She lowered her eyes and Ressler knew she was reflecting on the last six months. How hard they had been for her.

He walked closer to where she was standing and stood there. He hadn't yet figured out where their relationship stood. They obviously had things to discuss. Things that had happened the past six months that changed their partnership. Their friendship. And Ressler wasn't sure if those things were something they weren't going to talk about again now that things were getting back to normal.

She looked up at him as a tear fell from her face.

"I'm not sure I could've gotten through this without you, Ressler."

He tilted his head and raised his hand to lift her chin up.

"You're stronger than you give yourself credit for, Keen. Don't ever doubt that."

She laughed slightly.

"Keen, huh?" She said as he looked at her quizzically. "Now that I'm not a fugitive anymore, it's back to our old formalities?"

Ressler licked his lips and watched her face turned up into a sly smirk.

"Not if you don't want it to be", he said as he stepped closer to her. He heard her inhale sharply at his proximity as she stood taller in front of him.

"I know what I want, Liz." He said as he looked her in the eyes. "What do you want?"

She met his gaze and opened her mouth to speak but stopped. Liz knew what Ressler was asking. She knew he needed her to be sure this is what she really wanted before they did something they couldn't undo.

She looked at him. His eyes pleading with her to say yes. To accept him as more than just a partner. More than just a friend. To finally admit to each other how much they needed the other in their life.

"I want you, Ressler."

She barely got the words out before he had crushed her against his kitchen counter. His mouth taking hers under ownership and kissing and sucking every square inch. She ran her hands over his shoulders and through his hair as he moaned against her.

All of a sudden, she felt herself being picked up as his hands grabbed her waist gently and raised her so she was sitting on the counter in front him. Her legs straddled him as he broke their kiss and looked her eye to eye.

So much was still left unsaid between them. So much Ressler still needed her to hear. He looked at her, his eyes moving down to stare at her lips as he leaned in gently and kissed her softly. He heard her moan as she opened her mouth slightly to allow her tongue to enter his.

Their kisses got deeper and deeper and Ressler felt Liz's hands start to tug at his shirt. He stood back as he unbuttoned it and took it off. Allowing her to pull him closer and run her hands along his chest. Ressler picked her up and carried her to his bed, almost tripping on her bag that he had brought up earlier that evening.

He laid her down, joining on top of her as he kissed her neck and made his way down to where her shirt ended against her stomach. He pulled it up and kissed her stomach and he felt her arch into his touch. As he made his way higher, he sat her up, taking off her shirt as he saw her black lace bra laying against her skin.

"My God Liz, I want you so bad." He said as he stared down at her.

"Then take me." She said as she pulled him to her again, kissing him feverishly as they laid back down on the bed.

Ressler grabbed her bra straps and pulled them down her arms, unhooking her bra behind her as he watched her breasts bounce up and down after the undergarment was disguarded.

He went straight for her nipple. Sucking and licking the right breast as his hand played with the left. She moaned and he felt himself almost lose it when her hands played in his hair.

He moved his hands to unhook her jeans and began pulling them off as her underwear came down too. Ressler sat up and looked at her, fully naked in his bed. Staring up at him, in anticipation for what was coming next.

He opened her legs slightly and tasted her. He could tell she wasn't expecting it as she gasped when his mouth made contact with her core. He licked softly and found her spot as she moaned and begged him not to stop. She tasted like heaven. And when she couldn't take it any longer and buckled underneath him, he thought just maybe this might have been a dream.

She laid there, panting, coming down from her high. Ressler laid down next to her and looked over at her face as she smiled.

He saw her roll over on top of him and start to undo his pants. Her hands brushed against him and Ressler fought every urge in his body to not lose it immediately from the sensation. She looked down at him and smiled.

They were taking the time to explore each other. Not like the fast and lonely sex they had in Ireland. This was more intimate.

Liz looked down at his manhood and swallowed him whole. Her mouth taking him as prisoner and Ressler was sure he had screamed out her name when he felt her tongue licking his tip. She was hungry. Hungry for him and she didn't hold back. He closed his eyes and pulled her mouth off of him and up to where he could see her face.

He kissed her and rolled himself back on top of her, needing to be inside of her now.

He felt her hands guide him and soon felt her wet center envelope him as he plunged deeper. He started slow and felt her moan and sigh with every thrust he made which made him pick up his pace.

Faster and faster, he couldn't help himself. Until soon he was banging into her so hard the headboard was crashing against the wall.

Liz looked up at him, sweaty and full of desire, and pulled him down onto her her as she kissed him hard. Ressler was close to his limit and he moaned into her mouth as she ran her fingers along his back and squeezed just as he emptied himself inside of her.

Ressler laid on top of her, his weight crushing her as he came down from his high.

He heard her laugh and he looked at her face.

"My God." She said as she smiled at him.

"I know." He said as he slipped out of her, causing her to moan.

He rolled over on his back as she laid on him and put her head in his neck. They laid there like that for almost 20 minutes. Silent. Enjoying the warmth of each other's bodies.

"Back in Lithuania…", she said breaking the silence. "When we thought we were going to die…. You were about to tell me that you loved me."

Ressler knew it wasn't a question. He stayed silent and waited for her to continue.

"Did you mean it?", she said sheepishly.

Ressler scooted out from under her and found her eyes in the darkness of his room.

"Yes", he said softly. "I'm in love with you Liz."

She exhaled loudly and smiled.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to realize that I loved you too."

She kissed him as she straddled him, his hands wrapping across her back and pulling her tight against him.

When she broke away, she looked down at him and nuzzled into the crook of his neck.

"So where does this leave us, Ressler?"

"I'm not with the FBI currently… but I'd be lying if I said I'm not planning to fight for my job back." She stopped talking for a minute… letting her words sink in.

"We can't go back to being partners if we're….", she broke off her statement. Realizing in that moment, she didn't quite know what "this" was.

"If we're together…", Ressler said, picking up where she left off.

"Well… I can tell you where this leaves me", he said softly as he moved her off of him so he could look her in the eyes.

"I want to be with you, Liz. I want to come home and make love to you every night. And if we can't be partners at work, then I'll settle for being partners away from it. I want you to know every damn day how much I love you." He stopped, hoping he didn't say too much. "But I don't want to scare you if you don't want the same. I'll settle for what you're willing to give me right now."

She tilted her head, looking upon the man in front of her. This Ressler wasn't one she was used to. Feelings didn't come easy for him to share. He had bared his soul to her… his dreams. And he was asking for hers in return.

She kissed him on the lips as tears started to fall from her eyes.

"That sounds perfect, Donald Ressler."


End file.
